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Day 32 - Thursday - Gorges du Verdon

This morning we finally decided to visit the Canyon, well at least view it from the south side. Circling back via the north side would have added another 2 hours to the 4 hour excursion. We headed toward Comps Sur Artuby. This is the starting point on the south route. The roads up the mountain from there were windy, as we climbed up

and up. As with cycling the mountains, we were always on a cliff, always steering carefully away from the edge while also avoid oncoming vehicles. What a view. Pictures cannot describe it. From look offs you can look straight down.

The south side drive ended at the town of Aiguines, a quaint town about 600 meters above sea level. And this was after we descended a large part of the mountain. At the bottom, a large lake which extended to the west (left). To the other side, across the river, the north route which would wind itself back along the other side. And they are not really sides. The canyon is so large, that it is not just 2 roads, one on each side of a gorge. There are mountains and valleys between the two routes from what I can tell.

We tried to descend to lake level where I would try a few photos, but never got there. It was still a long way down. So we headed bad toward the villa. We have reservations tonight for dinner. I'm thinking steak or ribs, but who knows. Today's drive was around 150km. I hope you enjoy the photos. Eventually they will look better, as these are undeveloped straight out of the camera.

Day 33 - Friday - Moving Day

We decided rather than road trip today and return, that we would take residence at a Radisson Hotel in Nice, minutes from the airport. A wise move. Otherwise, we'd be driving at 4:00am through some narrow dark windy roads to the airport, first having to find an open gas station and return the car.

We said good bye to our host, packed up and split. Today things went wrong. Firstly, we didn't ship our biking gear back yet (the plan was to do it last Monday). So when I return home, I will have no shoes or pedals and much of my bike stuff in transit. And instead of shipping it from a small town, Lisa thought it

wiser from a large city. It was painful and stressful, and the post office was behind our hotel. I wanted it insured for $800, but the shipping price was 60€ standard no insurance, or 400€ express insured. Are they nuts? And post offices like other places are closed for a few hours during lunch. The French have an attitude of work as little as possible to live life. Which is good and bad. Explains the mandatory 5 weeks minimum summer holidays legislated on employers to provide. But nothing is ever open, no one wants to work.

Our host told us a story of a lady on a grocery store with a large cart full of stuff, and half way through checking out her stuff, the cashier came across tomatoes she forgot to weight and affix the price. The cashier called someone from produce asking them to come weigh them, he refused. A clerk walked by just doing nothing and was asked the same and she replied "not my job". The service industry on France is not friendly or customer centric. They feel you should feel privileged being their guests.

I remember our last Freewheeling trip to France in 2005. Cathy the owner who pays the bills, the hotels etc, was on the trip as well. Never having been on that trip (Dordogne/Lot), she wanted to see our room. The room she pays the hotel for us to stay. The owner, an elderly lady got upset because Cathy did not ask permission to go up to a room she was not staying in. It is a wonder they can run a business and stay in business.

Another example, once a restaurant gets successful, it starts closing more days per weak and reducing the hours open. Why? They don't the business. The just need enough to get by.

Anyway, we return the car. Navigating the airport, maddening.

We then crossed the street to hit the beach, Lisa waded into the stone beach surf which was pretty strong. But the water was warm. The temperature this afternoon was near 30C. This is why the French can get away with what they do. The weather, it rarely rains. It's hot. Here it is sunny over 300 days a year. After a quick foot soak, we went to the roof the see the heating pool. It was fairly busy, so we decided rather than get wet, have a drink and a snack. I had a 6€ Coronoa and Lisa had a 12€ Margarita. We shared a 8€ order of Frits. Here unlike Croatia, the beer is more expensive than pop. Coca Cola costs 6€ or more a bottle, a small 25cl bottle, in Nice.

The view from our room is spectacular. We see the ocean, and hear the traffic, very loud. Until we slide closed the double patio doors, after which it is almost dead quiet. Dinner tonight in the hotel, wonder what's cooking. I tried the foie gras. Did not like it. We shared roast beef for two, asked for medium rare, she suggested we ask for rare just in case (ie it is easy to fix in one direction). We got medium well. Oh well. It was still good, tasty, just not the way we would prefer it. The wine was very good.

Looking back over the past 5 weeks, there were times we wanted to kill each other. I couldn't since Lisa had the travel plans and papers. And up on those hills in the past week Lisa would have loved to kill me but; fortunately, she doesn't drive stick, so had she pushed me off the side, she would have been stranded. But seriously, we are very lucky to have had this vacation, this ride, all of it, from sailing in Croatia with Wayne and Linda, visiting my parents' village, exploring Croatia, Dubrovnik, exploring France, cycling, and driving all over and along the French Rivera. We consider ourselves very fortunate.

Finally it is coming to an end. The loaf or two of bread a day, the bottle of wine a day, the pastries, the duck, the calamari, the cheeses, the lemon ice cream. I can't take it any more. I need a rest, I need my fibre sugar free cereal, skim milk... Don't stay up for tomorrow's blog, I guarantee it won't be all that special.

For those of you who have followed the blog, thanks, hope you enjoyed it. It was a fair amount of work, over an hour a day. But well worth it. I look forward to reading it next week, so does Lisa, who has only read snippets here and there. There will be more (better) (developed) (touched up) photos in the near future, as well as a 5 minute or so video clip. Check back in 2 or 3 weeks. There will be no need for password then, you'll find the blog on my home page. Cheers.

Day 34 - Saturday - Going Home

Short cab ride to Nice airport at 0600 was pleasant. We departed on time. We flew over the alps. Cool. You could see snow on the tops, but only the north facing sides where the sun doesn't shine. As my countdown timer on my watch was indicating we should be landing, I noticed we were circling. A couple of large loops. Conditions were too hazy and so they were waiting a bit. No biggy. We were on a Lufthansa flight from Nice to Frankfort, then on another Lufthansa flight to Heathrow. They knew of our connecting flight, and there was another couple in the same situation, so upon deplaning, we were whisked down some back doors and into the front of the Customs and Immigration line where we were again expedited. Finally to our gate, where, we now had time time wait. Fifteen minutes. After which we boarded a bus (here we go again) for a ride to the large plane.

Once aboard we were instructed that we might not be leaving on time (1005). Of course not, it was already 1025. We might not be leaving until 1225. London is fogged in. The backups there due to the fog are building. In fog the gaps between planes taking off and landing are doubled. So imagine the backlog. Planes in the air waiting to land, planes on the ground wishing to leave. I think the planes in the air might get priority. Our Air Canada flight was to leave London 90 minutes after we landed. Now 60 minutes after we land, or 60 minutes before we arrive. The only good news (self generated), is that the Air Canada flight came from Canada early in the morning. It may have been delayed landing. And it may be delayed taking off. So right at this moment, it is a crapshoot. So as I sit on this plane (at least in first class), I type away to keep from getting bored...

Well hello again. We took off as expected 2.5 hours late, arrived in London, I didn't see any fog! London. I need to remember to avoid it like the plague. Anyway, our Air Canada flight took off without us. So we went looking for help, got in a line, a line that had probably over fifty people in it after we got there. We are trying to get a flight to Montreal (scheduled to leave late, 4:30pm or so) and then from there to Halifax arriving we hope by midnight in Halifax. Very annoyed. But what can one do? Be patient, be friendly, be nice and wait - the Canadian way.

Reminds me, when we did arrive at the Air Canada line to look for a solution, we went in the empty 1st class line. There were a few people in the regular line. One lady was very outspoken saying we were here first, waiting as you, missed our flight as you, etc. I explained to her one of the reasons 1st class seats cost thousands more is the perks and this, as it was, was one of them. I assured here that we would never cut in line. She apologized. It was a bit embarrassing, but, you pay the price, you get the perks. Or in our case, we used our reward points, and we still get the perks... That's it for now, as I wait to hear if we are confirmed to Montreal. Cheerio.

9pm, and I am sitting in the Air Canada lounge in Montreal. All is well, we leave her in an hour and a half, home before midnight. At least we had the use of lounges all the way, so we were never uncomfortable. And the plane seats, to here and from here, up front, big, wide, fully reclining. We are coming near 24 hours no sleep so I expect an hour nap is in order soon.

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